Best new restaurant and best overall restaurant

In August, Bon Appetit named Rose’s Luxury the best new restaurant in America, confirming what D.C. residents have known since chef Aaron Silverman opened his Barracks Row restaurant in September 2013: This place is something special. A dinner at Rose’s starts with servers so nice you’re tempted to tell them to pull up a chair; continues with quirky touches like the vintage glassware dotted with gold mushrooms; and ends with a bellyful of American-meets-Asian-meets-Italian-meets-we’ve lost track dishes. (How does one categorize popcorn soup?) “Rose’s is a project, not just a restaurant,” Silverman says. “It’s a bigger picture thing. How many lives can we touch? How much positivity can we spread?” Turns out, a lot: Rose’s donates 25 cents of every meal to the World Food Program USA, totaling more than $10,500 in just over a year. H.S.

Best Thai

Like that kid in class who gets all the A’s, Beau Thai — known for its bright flavors and reasonable prices — keeps racking up praise. Zagat called the Shaw location a “neighborhood gem,” Express’ dining editor raved about the hot and spicy pork noodle bowl ($10) and Washingtonian praised the green curry chicken ($12). Note: The Shaw branch is slated to move to Seventh and P streets NW later this year. M.C.

Best Indian

After four nominations, chef Vikram Sunderam finally took home his James Beard Award in May. The Mumbai native was named Best Chef Mid-Atlantic for his modern spin on Indian food at Rasika Penn Quarter and its sister restaurant, Rasika West End. At either, order the palak chaat ($11), a crispy spinach salad that’s every bit as good as Yelpers swear. Other standout dishes: white asparagus uttapam ($9), a pancakelike dish accompanied by coconut chutney, and the black cod ($28), marinated in dill, honey and star anise. R.S.

Best sushi

Sushi Taro’s humble entrance — it appears to be the back door to a CVS — belies what’s inside: modern decor, impeccable service and high-end sushi. The innovative a la carte menu, which changes frequently based on availability, has a devoted following. Recent sushi offerings include Tasmanian ocean trout ($7.25), live chocolate clam ($11.95) and crystal crab ($7.50). If you have around $160 to spare, get a reservation at the six-seat omakase counter (the restaurant takes them a month out), where diners let the sushi chefs guide their culinary adventures. R.S.

Best seafood

Hank’s Oyster BarMultiple locations; hanksoysterbar.com. Don’t fall in love with any one thing at Hank’s Oyster Bar: Chef Jamie Leeds changes the menu daily depending on what’s freshest. “Our philosophy is to let food taste like what it is,” Leeds says. “We only work with very seasonal product.” Named after Leeds’ father, Hank’s — now with three locations in the D.C. area — is best known for beach food with a New England twist, like shrimp and lobster po’boys with Old Bay french fries, and inventive cocktails. H.S.

Best Ethiopian

Owners Samuel Ergete and Meseret Bekele, a husband and wife team, traveled the world in search of the best Ethiopian restaurants and brought what they learned to their bright, modern space on H Street NE. Try pairing Ethiopic’s Signature Tibs ($18) — marinated leg of lamb served with sizzling peppers and onions — with tej, a traditional honey wine. Indecisive diners should just back away from the menu and share the seven-item vegetarian sampler ($35 for dinner). R.S.

Best chef

Jose Andresjoseandres.com. The James Beard Award-winning chef owns more than 12 restaurants (and one food truck) in D.C. and beyond, including the city’s top “you have to go there” spots Zaytinya, Minibar, Jaleo and Oyamel. In Penn Quarter this fall, he’ll open China Chilcano, a Chinese-Peruvian fusion restaurant. In July, the Spanish-born Andres received the Outstanding American by Choice Award from President Barack Obama for his humanitarian work. H.S.

2nd: Mike Isabella. 3rd: Marjorie Meek-Bradley.

Best brunch

The sleek Asian chain’s weekend brunch offers diners two hours of all-they-can-eat dim sum or all-they-can-drink mimosas (with five dim sum dishes) for a flat $36. Ping Pong’s modern take on China’s small plates includes classics like honey barbecued pork buns and crispy duck spring rolls, as well as less-traditional treats like fried calamari, banana and chocolate spring rolls, and a tableside mimosa bar with three juice options. B.M.

Best late night

There was once an Adams Morgan bartender who just wanted a decent dinner when he got off work at 3 a.m. “As much as he loved jumbo slice, man cannot live on jumbo slice alone,” says Arianne Bennett, who, with that bartender, her husband Scott, started Amsterdam Falafelshop. Its 4 a.m. weekend closing time ensures that night owls and drunk eaters alike can enjoy the shop’s Dutch-inspired take on the fried chickpea fritters, topped with a variety of salads, pickles and sauces and stuffed inside warm pita. B.M.

Best pizza and best vegetarian

&pizza knows you want your pizza a certain way, and right away. The local chain lets diners select from three kinds of dough (most locations offer two, but Bethesda adds a gluten-free variety), three kinds of cheese, eight sauces and a bar full of toppings to create their perfect pies, baked in moments in a super-fast oven. &pizza, which launched in 2012, has grown super-fast, too: Its owners plan to add up to nine more DMV locations to the six already open. The gajillions of possible pizza configurations mean an &pizza shop is a safe space for vegetarians and vegans — we even did the math. Start with the 28 vegetarian and vegan toppings. Combine those with the three doughs, eight vegetarian sauce options (or go sauceless), three cheeses and your old Algebra 2 textbook and you’re looking at 83,499,642,288 ways to stuff your face full of meatless goodness. B.M. & A.G.

Best sandwich

Taylor Gourmet is making D.C. a hoagie town. In fact, District residents probably called them “subs” until the first Taylor Gourmet opened in 2008, bringing its strange Philadelphia lingo along with thick rolls and Italian fillings. Even the sandwiches at the local chain are named for Philly streets and landmarks. Examples: The Ben Franklin Parkway is stuffed with breaded chicken, marinara and provolone; the Reading Terminal’s got roast beef, horseradish cream and caramelized onions. M.C.

Best independent coffee shop

The animal crackers that come with your coffee could alone be enough to make this Adams Morgan staple D.C.’s favorite coffee shop, but Tryst’s appeal goes beyond that. Grab a seat on a vintage couch, order a caffeinated beverage (or an alcoholic one — we won’t judge), log onto the free Wi-Fi and get some work done. Or just people watch. M.C.

Best kid-friendly restaurant

Ted’s BulletinMultiple locations; matchboxfoodgroup.com.

It’s no surprise to see Ted’s Bulletin own this category for the second year in a row: Homemade pop tarts are the local chain’s most famous treat, and child-friendly classics — sloppy Joes, grilled-cheese sandwiches, tater tots — are on the main menu, making the children’s menu hardly necessary. Treats like Ted’s take on Hostess Sno-Balls (exclusive to its 14th Street location) will appeal to kids and nostalgic grown-ups alike. The milkshake list is so expansive — there’s even a PB&J flavor — parents may not even notice the boozy versions. L.M.

Best doughnut

The past two years have seen the dawning of a doughnut scene in the city, with the opening of GBD, District Doughnut, and Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken, but our readers still prefer a 77-year-old classic. Krispy Kreme continues to seduce customers, especially when the “Hot Now” light on each shop signals that warm doughnuts await. While there are only three Krispy Kremes in the immediate area, more are slated to open in the next few years. H.S.

Best South/Central American

Arepa Zonearepazone.com. Earlier this year, Gabriela Febres was feverishly trying to figure out how to run her new food truck, Arepa Zone. “I actually bought ‘Running a Food Truck for Dummies,’” she admits. That didn’t prepare her and co-owner Ali Arellano for the immediate success of their Venezuelan fried corn pockets, stuffed with meats and cheeses in combinations like shredded beef, queso fresco, plantains and black beans. Sound good? Order the Pabellon. R.S.

Best frozen treat

In a world of mash-ups and fusion cuisine, Pitango, which has three shops in the District and one in Reston, Va., bucks the trend. Its rotating menu boasts 20 straightforward, classic flavors, among them gianduja (chocolate hazelnut), stracciatella (vanilla chocolate chip) and pistachio. The sorbets include spicy chocolate, Bosc pear and quince. All this simplicity lets the high-quality ingredients — hard-to-find Italian pistachios, imported almonds — shine. B.M.

Best bakery

Jenna Huntsberger’s classic pies — in flavors like strawberry rhubarb, sea salt chocolate chess, and spicy Italian sausage and caramelized onion — have earned a second consecutive win for Whisked! The bakery, which also makes delicious cookies, doesn’t have a brick-and-mortar store, but regularly sells its flaky wares at local farmers markets and specialty food shops. Or sign up for its CSA to get a monthly or biweekly fix. B.M.

Allie GhamanAllie Ghaman is a news designer and illustrator. She started at The Post as an intern in 2009 and has also worked at The Washington Post Express. When not in D.C., she is an avid backpacker, with over 5,000 trail miles. Follow